Featured Article -- July 2006

Business executives work with TEW and state to enhance proactive response capabilities

Submitted by Business Executives for National Security (BENS)

Business Executives for National Security, commonly referred to as BENS, is a nationwide, non-partisan organization that serves as the primary channel through which senior business executives can help enhance the nation's security. BENS members use their business experience to drive the organization's agenda, deliver its message to decision makers and make certain that the changes it proposes are put into practice.

BENS members are senior executives who:

• bridge the gap between business and government in addressing unsecured weapons of mass destruction, tracking terrorists' financial assets, securing the nation's ports and preparing state and local governments to deal with catastrophic events or terrorist attacks;
• apply the lessons of successful business practices to help reshape and rebuild America's military for the 21st century;
• help the Pentagon, Congress and the White House develop new solutions to national security challenges.

State officials in Missouri have asked Kansas City BENS members to play a leadership role in helping the state design an operational asset management tool to support emergency preparedness and response. The Business Response Network (BRN) would connect emergency management personnel to needed private sector resources (goods, services, equipment, volunteers) quickly and effectively during a catastrophic event. The state will take this program even further by including local and state “first response” assets and tying the entire program together for information sharing purposes.

History shows that private sector companies, working in partnership with state and local governments, can play a critical role in responding to disasters and other emergencies within communities or across regions, and that people want to help.

Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 revealed the need for timely access to and proactive response by private sector resources in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist incident. A proactive approach to marshalling response capabilities well ahead of the event is needed, along with creation of an active private-sector database and implementation plan.

Missouri is taking a proactive approach to both preparation and response to major natural disasters or terrorist incidents. This is absolutely critical for the protection of people and infrastructure, as well as recovery from the effects of such an incident. Recent disasters, both in and out of the state, have made clear the need for an effective partnership between public emergency responders and the private sector.

The Business Response Network (BRN) will be an information network of private-sector resources that businesses are willing to make available to emergency management officials in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. Businesses participate by agreeing to provide these resources during an emergency -- subject to their availability -- reducing response time, saving lives and speeding economic recovery.

The BRN database will be operated by state or local emergency management agencies. An operational BRN will provide a needed asset surge capability that government leaders have identified as a serious gap in their response to catastrophic events, either natural or man-made. The BRN should allow for detailed pre-incident planning by bringing substantial, private-sector skills and assets to support local and state government emergency response efforts. The BRN will provide an efficient and effective use of total community resources in times of need.

BENS is also actively involved in the establishment and support of the KCTEW, and is a member of the executive committee that governs the TEW. In this role, BENS is helping to develop a private-sector network of security professionals that will be linked to the TEW.

For more information on BENS, the Mid-America Business Force, and the Business Response Network, visit www.bens.org, www.midamericabusinessforce.org and www.businessresponsenetwork.org .

 

 

The threat level in the airline sector is HIGH or Orange. See www.dhs.gov for details.

An online Suspicious Activity Report Form (SAR) will be available soon.